I don’t eat much fast food. Perhaps my years as a food critic are to blame. If you count calories, you reserve them for your job. I’m not trying to ride a white high horse here, that is how I organized my life. Plus, I find most fast food to be evil. It’s riddle with hidden sugars and trans fat and high salt content. But that is a topic for another time.
My guiltiest eating pleasure is a double-double animal-style burger at In-N-Out Burger. The urge hits me at least four times a year. Recently I gave into such an impulse and found myself in the drive-thru at the location just north of Beltline on the east side of the Tollroad. I quit ordering fries at In-N-Out years ago. I always found them to be flabby and soggy. But what a brilliant opportunity knocked at my brain as I waited behind a shiny black Jeep Patriot. I’ll have fries and write about them. I just love it when work and play join forces and take control of your decision making.
And what a glorious reward I received that afternoon. Obviously the fry goddesses were on my side. The three orders that were passed to me were just out of the fryer. I conducted my taste test as I raced the ten minutes to my house. By the time I hit Preston and Beltline, one order was nestled in my stomach. Each bite had been worth twice the calories. Not only were the skinny fries hot, they were crisp and rigid. The potato inside was warm and fluffy. I handed my burger to a beggar on the corner and headed home.
What a difference five minutes makes. By the time I entered my kitchen and pulled out a plate, the fries were limp and soggy. This is the reason I prefer thicker fries—they travel better. If you are not going to eat in a fast food restaurant, then don’t order fries. Unless they are filled with chemicals to keep them hard. But that is a discussion for another time.
